It was not so long ago that the TENCEL™ brand was a “behind-the-scenes” ingredient brand. Following the repositioning of the TENCEL™ brand in 2018 to become more consuming facing, and as brands and consumers are gaining more awareness of the importance of sustainability and their individual impact on the planet, TENCEL™ has since become a household name that promotes a shift towards achieving a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

“Since the launch of TENCEL™ brand three decades ago, we have been actively driving innovation in the industry with sustainability at heart,” said Florian Heubrandner, Vice President Global Textiles Business of Lenzing AG. “To date, the TENCEL™ brand has become a powerhouse brand in the eyes of consumers, brands and the global market. Since 1992, the brand has broadened its appeal beyond the B2B segment as we have continued to expand our sustainability credentials and extend our partnerships across the fiber value chain.”

For three decades, the TENCEL™ brand has been committed to driving the evolution of cellulosic fiber solutions through industry-first innovations, eco-responsible production processes and close collaboration with partners. TENCEL™’s 30-year milestone was made possible by the ongoing trust, confidence and support of its value chain partners from different parts of the world.

“Our very first commercial products made of TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibers were launched in 1992 at Isetan department store in Japan,” said Mikihito Kojima, ex-board member of Toyoshima, and Director of Japan Ace Co. Ltd. “Since then, Toyoshima has been working with the TENCEL™ brand to develop unique and new fabrics using TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers. Our recent successful programs included TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ blends with TRUE COTTON^Ⓡ, Toyoshima’s own traceable Turkish organic cotton yarn. With support from Lenzing, Toyoshima is able to develop a variety of applications with lyocell fibers and has a reputable position within the Japanese textile industry from downstream to upstream.”

The TENCEL™ brand is proud to empower leading industry value chain partners, from spinners to yarn makers, fabric mills to consumer brands, on their journey to adopt more innovative and sustainable business practices. “Our partnership with the TENCEL™ brand began more than 20 years ago,” said Durai Palanisamy, Executive Director at Pallavaa Group, headquartered in India. “TENCEL™ branded fibers are produced more efficiently with the most sustainable process and the least amount of ecological footprint. Since our focus is to promote sustainable yarns and fabrics, this collaboration is a perfect alignment, meeting our sustainability goals and those of our customers.”

Empowering the future with sustainability

Along with sustainable operations and practices, TENCEL™ is also committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. With a vision to pursue a carbon neutral industry value chain, in 2020, TENCEL™ launched the industry’s first carbon-zero TENCEL™ branded fibers. The brand expanded the carbon-zero offering to TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers with REFIBRA™ technology in 2021.

“TENCEL™ is the future. It is more than a fiber, it is a solution,” said Juan Parés Boj, CEO of Textile Santanderina, headquartered in Spain. “TENCEL™ is already an important part of a coherent future in the textile business, it is a fiber that adapts to all types of combination and use, with the traceability and sustainability that the consumer and the planet need for a better world.”

While TENCEL™ is proud of what is has achieved over the past 30 years, its work is far from done and it will continue to explore ways to create a more sustainable future.

“In 2022, we will continue to focus on producing carbon-zero innovations that make a difference to the textile and fashion industries. The next decade will see more sustainability-driven innovations unveiled to actualize our 2050 vision. We are grateful to have worked alongside our partners and colleagues over the last 30 years and we look forward to greater success in the next 30,” added Florian .